Best Buy deal-hunting hacks
If you’re in the market for a new cellphone, home theater system, kitchen appliance, computer or top-notch television, chances are your electronic expedition will lead you to Best Buy.
A bastion of tech geekery, Best Buy remains one of the go-to stops for the latest and greatest gadgets, offering a range of consumer electronics from refrigerators and ipads to car stereos and smart home security.
Purchasing these big-ticket items often means reaching deep into the money well, but fortunately there are a number of ways to save when shopping at Best Buy both in-store and online.
Founded by Richard M. Schulze and Gary Smoliak as an audio specialty store in 1966, there are now more than 1,000 Best Buy stores in the United States. Best Buy has managed to survive the retail apocalypse unlike one-time retail adversaries like Circuit City, Tweeter,
Comp USA and Radio Shack. Thank goodness. As convenient as online shopping is, the option to pop into a brickand-mortar store and touch the tangible is important when you’re dropping hundreds or thousands of dollars on a single item. It’s hard to gauge the baking space of a gas range from a picture or the clarity of a new sound system from a consumer review.
The opportunity to see and touch your future laptop or washing machine is trumped only by the ability to save on those budget-zapping buys.
In order to save, you really need to be in the know. First, know when to shop. Black Friday is by far the best time to nab rock-bottom deals on just about everything. But, that's just one day. Prices on other products dip at different times throughout the year. You'll find the best deals on laptops in mid-to-late summer during back-to-school sales. Television prices plunge before the Super
Bowl.
You'll also want to be privy to pop up deals. Sign up to receive Best Buy email alerts so you’re notified of the daily “Deals of the Day.” These are typically online-only offers, though you can opt for free in-store pickup when available. Dollar for dollar
(off ), these are some of the best bargains you’ll find on any given day. Most recently, an 11-piece Cuisinart cookware set was featured for $49.99. It is regularly priced at $199.
You’ll also be alerted to special events, like Flash Sales. These fleeting sales usually only last for a few hours, but feature steep savings on a limited number of products across multiple categories. You can sign up to receive alerts at the bottom of the Best Buy homepage.
If you’re a frequent shopper, also sign up for the My Best Buy tiered customer loyalty program. As a member, you’ll be the first to hear about exclusive sales, receive special offers and earn points on every purchase. Membership is free. You’ll earn .5 points for every $1 spent. For every 250 My Best Buy points you receive, you will be eligible to receive a $5 reward certificate.
The more you spend, the more you’ll earn. My Best Buy Elite or Elite Plus members earn 1 point or 1.25 points for
every dollar spent, respectively.
To reach that status you’ll need to spend a total of $1,500 (for Elite) or $3,500 (for Elite Plus) on qualifying purchases during a calendar year.
All My Best Buy members also receive a special birthday gift during their birthday month, which right now is a coupon good for 10 percent off a single item. It’s worth noting that there are quite a few exclusions, like items by Bose and Apple.
One of the easiest ways to save on some of those big-ticket items is to explore Best Buy’s Outlet. The outlet includes clearance-priced products, refurbished items and Open-box bargains. You’ll find these offers online. Inventory varies in-store. Open-box items are goods that have been either used on display or returned by customers. They are inspected and any irregularities are noted. They are covered by any available manufacturer warranties.
Best Buy has a generous price match program. If you find a lower price on an identical product at a competitor’s store or major online retailers, Best Buy will match the price at the time of sale, or within 15 days of purchase. While shopping online, if you find a qualifying product that you want Bestbuy.com to price match, call (888) BEST-BUY to request an adjustment. The guarantee does not apply to contract mobile phones, services, daily and flash deals and items for sale Thanksgiving Day through the Monday after Thanksgiving.
If you have old, obsolete (at least to you) electronics stuffed in a drawer somewhere, you may be able to recycle them at your local store and in turn receive a discount on a future purchase. Right now, when you recycle an old modem, router or gateway, you’ll receive 15 percent off one.
Finally, if you’re willing to add a new credit card to your wallet, the My Best Buy Credit Card offers a couple of tempting perks. You can earn five percent back in rewards (six percent if you’re an Elite member) on purchases or take advantage of flexible, no-interest payment options.